


> New Game Plus

by Stripe



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-08
Updated: 2019-06-08
Packaged: 2020-03-29 13:08:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 11,981
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19020559
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Stripe/pseuds/Stripe
Summary: A young man stands in his bedroom. Though it was thirteen years ago that he was given life, he remembers celebrating his fourteenth birthday on a golden ship, his sixteenth in front of a glowing door with the promise of a new world, and his sixty-fourth while his son smoked a celebratory pipe.(A Post-Sburb AU in which the kids start again.)





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello AO3! It's been a little while, but here I am, with more beta kid fanfiction, as is my brand. This was written for the Homestuck Big Bang 2019, which was a lot of fun! I've had an idea similar to this bouncing around for a little while now, and wanted to explore it in a fanfiction. Admittedly there's MUCH more I could do with this concept, but I'm satisfied with where it ends for now. I may come back to this AU later.
> 
> Anyways, major shoutout to the artists (crossbbones, gilyangi, and liunya) for their illustrations and their patience with how long it took me to finish my rough draft. They did some excellent work, and I hope you all look forward to seeing it!

A young man stands in his bedroom. Though it was thirteen years ago that he was given life, he remembers celebrating his fourteenth birthday on a golden ship, his sixteenth in front of a glowing door with the promise of a new world, and his sixty-fourth while his son smoked a celebratory pipe. 

The first thing that John Egbert does with his new beginning is rush to the calendar pinned next to his window. There, etched in red ink, is a crude drawing of a smiling face with a birthday hat over the box for April 13th, just like he remembers it. What's missing is the red ink that used to mark the date of April 10th for the Sburb beta. At least, he's pretty sure it used to be there. He remembers it being there. Why would he make something like that up?

The second thing that John Egbert does with his new beginning is dive into his computer chair and log into pesterchum. He can't be the only one who remembers.

\---

Lightning flashes, and Rose Lalonde opens her eyes. Her first thought is that she might lose power, which could mess up her connection to Sburb, assuming John gets his copy today.

Her second thought is to remind herself that she's done this already. John got his copy, she became his server player, and at a pivotal moment, she did lose power. Then Dave became her server player, and Jade became his...

Rose shakes her head. Her eyes scan over her room. It's exactly how she remembers it - bed unmade, knitting materials spread across the floor. The only things missing are her copies of the Sburb discs, which she is sure used to be on her desk.

Her heart skips a beat she would never admit to as she scrambles to her desk. She can't be the only one.

\---

It’s unseasonably warm for April, even in Texas. The window is open and the fan is cranked as high as it will go, but sweat still prickles on the back of Dave Strider's neck.

Dave tilts his head towards the window, finding that outside there is nothing but sun, smog, and the cawing of crows. He looks around the room; nobody is there but him. He reaches his hand up to his neck, and when he pulls it away, it's free of blood. 

No horrorterrors, no dead trolls, no life-ending wounds. He's alive, he's in his bedroom, and he's thirteen again.

Dave flash steps to his computer so fast that he doesn't even notice that his copies of Sburb are missing from his mixing table.

\---

Jade Harley's eyes flutter open and she sits up in her garden atrium. It's peaceful here - quiet as it always was - but something feels... wrong.

It hits her all at once, and she scrambles to her feet. Her friends need her. In exactly which way, she doesn't yet know, but she can feel it deep down. What was she doing napping?

Jade makes a mad dash for the stairs, nearly tripping over her own skirt in her effort to make it to her laptop. She needs to make sure that they're okay.


	2. Chapter 2

\-- ghostyTrickster [GT] began pestering tentacleTherapist [TT] \--  
GT: rose!!! are you there?   
GT: look. this is maybe going to sound a bit weird, but...  
GT: do you remember a game called sburb?

\-- tentacleTherapist [TT] began pestering turntechGodhead [TG] \--  
TT: Dave?   
TT: Forgive me if this message does not come branded with my usual flavor of snarky broad-ery, but I need to know.  
TT: Do you remember?

\-- turntechGodhead [TG] began pestering gardenGnostic [GG] \--  
TG: hey jade   
TG: you there  
TG: god please tell me youre not knocked out asleep again this would be like the worst possible time  
TG: look whenever you log on just let me know that youre okay

\-- gardenGnostic [GG] began pestering ghostyTrickster [GT] \--  
GG: john!!!!!!!!   
GG: are you there??? are you okay??? :(  
GT: jade! yes, i am fine.  
GT: do you remember everything too?  
GT: ugh, hold on actually. i just heard back from rose and i can already feel the horrible rambling message dave is going to send me.  
GT: let me make a group chat.

\-- ghostyTrickster [GT] opened memo on board hey guys! --  
GT: everybody get in here so that we do not all have to juggle three conversations at once!  
gardenGnostic [GG] responded to memo  
GG: is everyone okay??   
tentacleTherapist [TT] responded to memo  
TT: Physically? Yes.  
TT: On a more emotional and metaphysical level, I'd like to blow up another sun.  
GG: :((   
turntechGodhead [TG] responded to memo  
TG: im with rose on this one   
TG: sburb has pulled some massive bullshit before but this has gotta be the biggest shit that bulls ass has ever spat out   
GT: so... you guys all still remember everything, right?  
TT: That would seem to be the case.  
GT: like, EVERYTHING everything?  
TG: idk john whats everything everything   
TG: do i remember getting blown up by the green sun with rose   
TG: check   
TG: do i remember getting turned into an orange floating bird with game powers   
TG: check   
TG: do i remember getting shish kabobed between two angry dogs with swords   
TG: check   
TG: do i remember creating a sbahj movie as a form of counter propaganda   
GT: ok, dave. we get it.  
TG: check   
TT: Truly, we could be here all day, recounting every detail of every doomed timeline we lived through.  
TT: Recounting every horrible dating experiment gone awry in an obscure dreambubble.  
TT: But that doesn't answer the question of why we're here.  
GG: we won right?   
GG: we all got to the door and then.....   
GT: yeah, i guess this must just be what happens when you win!  
TG: so what you survive a shitton of deadly monsters travel across multiple universes and timelines   
TG: and your prize is having to go through puberty again but without god powers this time   
GT: well, it doesn't sound good when you put it like THAT.  
GG: but we're back on earth, right?  
GG: so.... that means none of those people died?   
TT: That would appear to be the case.  
TT: We're alive, despite dying many times over. The planet exists, despite being bombarded with meteors.  
TT: ...I should see if she's downstairs.  
GT: oh...  
TG: shit   
GT: ok.  
GT: i'm going to check to see if dad's still here.  
GT: but we will talk again soon! this is way too crazy.  
TG: yeah gtg  
GG: good luck everyone!! :o 


	3. Chapter 3

John nearly trips over his own feet as he runs down the stairs. The living room is just as he always remembers it being: Nanna's ashes on the fireplace mantle, jesters lining the shelves, the smell of baking wafting in from the kitchen. He sees the giant present sitting in the middle of the room, but ignores it. Right now, it's not important.

John's father looks properly surprised when his son bursts into the kitchen, turning away from his spot by the oven. John stops in place. He opens his mouth to say something, but it feels like the breath has been stolen from him.

His father smiles. "Happy Birthday, son. I'm so proud of you."

\---

Rose proceeds down the stairs with caution. She knows the power is likely to go out at any moment - that's what happened the first time she lived this experience, after all.

She knows her mother should be downstairs. That's where she was the first time, after all. Everything about this experience should be easy, in fact. It's happened before. She knows what to expect. It's almost as though she's still the Seer of Light.

Yet her stomach flips over itself when she reaches the bottom step. Lightning flashes and silhouettes her mother's form: martini glass, useless mop, and all. 

She's alive. Rose knows she should be happy about that - but with the hindsight of growing up, she realizes that the mop her mother is holding is dry for the same reason the martini glass is almost empty.

\---

Dave sits back in his computer chair. It feels like a brick of lead has settled in his stomach.

"Hey, Bro," he says to the open air. "If you're around, I know you're listening in. Let's not beat around the fucking bush here, okay? I'll meet you on the roof."

Dave doesn't get a response, but he wasn't expecting one. He slides out of his chair and grabs one of the katana he keeps above his mixing station. It's a piece of shit, but that's fine. He just needs a weapon.

He doesn't let himself get distracted with any of the traps in the kitchen or any of the puppets in the crawlspace. He heads straight for the stairs leading to the roof, and he doesn't even pause to make a joke about those stairs, bro. It's a grim ascent to the beatdown that he knows is waiting for him.

Bro hardly gives him a second to take on a proper stance when he shuts the door to the roof. Dave ducks out of the way of the thrust and rolls out of the way of the next strike. Bro is fast, but for once, Dave finds himself following the motions. 

Bro is only human. He's not as fast as the twin Becs were. He doesn't have the psionics that the Condesce did. He's not imbued with the same Lord English madness that fuelled Jack Noir. He doesn't even have the advantage of numbers like the juggalo presidents did.

He's one man. One human man.

Dave raises his blade and parries a blow that he didn't the first time this fight happened. Bro staggers; Dave takes the opening and exploits it, pushing him back. Bro side-steps and strikes, but Dave is a step ahead of him. He slashes with the katana, catching Bro across the chest; the blade is too dull to draw blood, but it hits hard. Their blades meet again and again, but with each clash of steel against steel, Bro loses ground.

Dave fights with the experience of lifetimes and, for the first time in any lifetime, he strikes his brother down.

He's still alive. Dave can see the shallow rise and fall of his chest. He's unconscious, though, and definitely badly bruised. Dave stares. He remembers finding his brother's body like this, flat on his back, his own katana plunged into his chest. 

Dave's eyes fall to his brother's sword. It has a familiar glint in the Texan sun that Dave has come to associate with getting his ass handed to him. Dave picks it up and turns it over in his hands. For just a moment, silhouetted by the sun and the smog, he catches his own reflection.

Dave snaps the blade over his knee and leaves it on the roof.

\---

Jade jumps off of her bed, running down the stairs. She knows that her friends are going to go and talk to their guardians, who are probably alive now that Sburb is over. She decides to do the same thing.

"Bec!" she calls out, hands cupped around her mouth. It isn't necessary - she knows that his hearing is godly because she can remember having that hearing. Still, it's fun! "Bec! Where are you?"

Jade runs past the mounted heads of her grandfather's successful hunts. "Bec!"

Down past the suits of armor. "Come out, come out wherever you are!"

Through the stash of mummies. "We can play fetch! I have my rifle!"

Around the blue beauties. "Or... I'll irradiate a steak for you!"

She reaches the grand foyer. Her grandfather stands there, quiet and stoic as he ever was. It's odd, now, seeing him so old and lifeless, knowing what he was like at sixteen. Jade doesn't linger. She had suspected her grandfather would not be magically revived. He had died long before the start of the game, after all.

Instead, she rushes outside. Surely that's where Bec will be - first guardian or not, he's still a dog, and she knows he likes running around outdoors. She tries calling for him again.

"Bec! Here, boy!" Jade whistles, too, then waves her arms around for good measure. Her eyes scan the rolling hills of her island, looking for a flash of white, a set of pointy ears, a green crackle of electricity. Nothing.

As her eyes scan the horizon, she notices something else is missing, too. The mystic ruins are missing. It doesn't take Jade to piece together why. They were a game construct, and if this universe is one in which the game constructs don't exist...

"Bec!" Jade takes off with a run, fearing the worst. She kicks up grass and dirt as she scrambles up a hill then slides down the other side. If game constructs don't exist...

"Bec, please! Come here!" She races for the shoreline, where the temple used to be. He never liked her going inside - maybe if she gets close...

Jade reaches the edge of the water and splashes into the shallows until little waves lap up at her knees. She gasps for breath, looking up at the space where the temple used to be.

"Bec..." Her voice is weaker now, but she knows it doesn't matter. "Please... if you're here-" 

The island stays quiet but for the waves rolling in against the shore. Jade's knees give out from under her, and she makes a splash as she falls. 

"Please," she begs quietly, because she knows nobody will hear. "I don't want to be alone again."

Even after Jade is able to pull herself out of the water and drag herself home, the taste of saltwater lingers on her tongue.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> art in this chapter is courtesy of crossbbones @ tumblr and twitter!


	4. Chapter 4

It is April 18, 2009, and the world has not ended. This fact only surprises four people, and they have just found out how to get their webcams working with pesterchum.

"Ugh, this is so weird!" John proclaims as, one by one, each of his friend's faces appear on screen. "You're really all thirteen again!"

"We are really all thirteen again," Rose remarks. "And you, just freshly so. In all of the hubbub of Monday, I believe I forgot to wish you a happy birthday."

"Oh, yeah, happy birthday, John!" Jade grins at him from across the Pacific. 

"Happy birthday," Dave adds, throwing in a small, barely-there grin of his own. "Do you feel old now?"

"Anything but!" John rubs his chin. "It's so weird not having to shave every day anymore."

Dave snorts. "Give it a couple of years, and I'm sure you'll be buying shaving cream by the boatload."

"It's a bit like having a window into the future, isn't it?" Rose muses, propping her head up on her elbow. "I already know what all of you look like fully grown. I even know what Jade and John look like when they're elderly - and yet here you are, talking to me with voices that have yet to drop. It's almost as though I kept my powers from Sburb."

"Yeah. I guess that's one thing I'll kind of miss." John makes a vague hand gesture. "The powers. Flying was pretty cool. It sucks having to walk everywhere now."

"The flying was cool, but I'm not complaining about not running timeline maintenance anymore," Dave says. "Especially all that doomed timeline bullshit. I don't want to count the number of times I died just trying to save your sorry asses. Believe me when I say I remember being every single one of those doomed Daves."

"Yeah, yeah, you're a big hero, we get it, we get it." Even though John is complaining, his voice is fond. "What sucks more than no powers is being apart again, though. I thought that when we walked through the door..."

"That we'd all end up in the same place together?" Rose guesses. "Perhaps some version of us did. A version destined to escape the narrative we were woven into. We are simply not those versions."

"Lame," Dave says.

"Still, at least we're all okay!" Jade says, trying to be optimistic. "We're not together right now, but at least we can still talk to each other as often as we want. No more meteors or golden ships to keep us separated!"

John quickly latches onto the lifeline of hope that Jade has tossed them. "Yeah! Plus, we can always travel. We definitely need to make plans to meet up soon. Though... I guess it will be hard to get you off that island, huh Jade?"

"That's right," Rose muses. "Now that we know you're alone there... or, alone apart from Bec, I guess. Would you like to come and stay with one of us?"

Jade twirls some hair around her finger. "Um... no, that's fine. Thanks, Rose, but I think I will be okay."

"Just as long as we all get to meet up someday," Dave says. 

Jade smiles, but it lacks something. Perhaps it's lost through the grainy film of her webcam. "Someday for sure!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> art in this chapter is courtesy of gilyangi on tumblr!


	5. Chapter 5

It's been one year, and John is staring down at the corpse of his father again. Next to him is Rose's mom, and Rose herself, and then Dave, and then Jade. His friends are sixteen, wearing their god tier uniforms again, and they are dead. He can't tell where he's standing. Sometimes it feels like he's in his bedroom, but the floor is the checkerboard pattern of the battlefield, and the sky is filled with fireflies.

John doesn't know where is he, but he does know that he couldn't save them. He is so _stupid_. What is the point of having god tier powers if they're just going to be _useless_?

His god tier sneakers are getting stained with blood. He should have stopped this, he thinks. He's so _dumb._ This is probably his fault. All of the people at his feet are strong and capable - they'd only be capable of dying if they were distracted, maybe by protecting a _lame kid_ or something.

Something twitches in John's hand, and he opens his eyes.

He's in his bedroom, and it's still dark outside. He's sitting up on his bed, facing his wall. He needs to blink a couple of times in the dark to be able to see it clearly, but even without light, he can see the faint outline of words on his wall.

Stupid. Useless. Dumb. Lame ki - only missing the "d" because John dropped the marker when he woke up. With a grunt, John falls back on the bed, glaring angrily at the ceiling. 

His dad is going to be _so_ disappointed that he graffitied his wall.

Again.

\---

It's been one year, and Rose cannot stand to look at the "4/13" at the bottom right of her computer screen. Instead, she resolves to spend the entire day off of the computer. She picks up her knitting needles and works on a scarf.

She knits and she knits and she knits and she knits and she only stops when her stomach growls. She looks outside, surprised to see the sun is already beginning to set.

Rose figures her mother must have decided to forego the facade of making a "family dinner" for them tonight, so she sets her knitting needles down and heads to the kitchen to check for leftovers. On her way there, she passes her mother, snoring softly on the couch. 

When Rose opens the fridge, sitting right in her field of view is a bottle of wine that her mother must have decided to let chill. However, the placement of the bottle is precisely on the shelf that hits Rose's eye level - not her mother's. It's as though the bottle was left for her. 

Rose begins the thought: _This is a passive aggressive ploy. A jab at the fact I did not ask about dinner. In retaliation I should-_

-and then she stops herself. She's not thirteen anymore. Hasn't she grown out of calculating the perfect passive aggressive jabs? 

She thinks of her mother, lying dead on the battlefield next to John's father. Rose had forsaken her in one timeline already, lost the chance to make new memories with her. Why is she letting the same thing happen here? She should know better. She should _be_ better - but she doesn't know that she can. 

Once again, her eyes fall to the bottle of wine.

\---

It's been one year, and Dave is sitting in Pre-Algebra, trying to ignore the big "April 13, 2010" that is scrawled on the whiteboard over the agenda. He remembers so many versions of that date - on the meteor, planning a rebellion - and yet this is the first time he's spent it in a math classroom full of bored teenagers.

Dave himself is _especially_ bored. He already learned this kind of basic math when he grew up the first time around. This year, his teachers think he's a model student - he does well on tests, he doesn't talk to other students in the class, and when he deigns to raise his hand to give commentary, he's usually both insightful and funny. It's not that Dave's really putting in an effort; it's just that once he learned how to find x the first time, there's no point in pretending he's forgotten.

When Dave gets his test back at the end of class (an A, again), there's a note from his teacher that says he should consider taking honors classes in high school next year.

Dave stops short in the hallway when he reads it, which leads to him being buffeted by over-stuffed backpacks from all sides. He finds himself slipping into a swordman's stance without needing to.

He needs to get out of here.

\---

It's been one year, and Jade is lying in bed. 


	6. Chapter 6

\-- turntechGodhead [TG] opened memo on board its happy birthday time motherfuckers --  
TG: alright everybody get your asses in here we got a fucking birthday to celebrate  
ghostyTrickster [GT] responded to memo  
GT: come on, dave, we don't need to make a big deal out of this!  
TG: no way we absolutely gotta make a big deal  
TG: shake hands with the big business man who congratulates us on making the best deal of all time getting us all kinds of profits and margins  
TG: in december you sent all of us the annual sappy letter and disgustingly thoughtful bday gift so the least we can do is return the favor with a group chat  
TG: you check your mail yet  
GT: yeah!  
GT: though, ugh, i haven't opened anything yet.  
GT: dad's gone overboard with the cakes again and i've been too busy avoiding those.  
TG: youve got to be kidding youre so wrapped up in cake that you cant even spare a moment for your sweet birthday loot  
TG: like how do you even accomplish that  
TG: if it were me my hands would be flying through the wrapping paper as im slowly encased on all sides by cake  
TG: like yeah its probably gonna be the end of me  
TG: death by frosting or whatever  
TG: but at least i can die knowing what my fucking haul is  
GT: gross! i don't even want to THINK about death by cake.  
GT: eugh.   
TG: you clearly just dont value our spent dollars that much  
TG: but on the bright side now me and jade and rose can get your bday gift reactions in real time  
TG: you gotta type em out exactly as you say them in real life  
TG: happy gasps and stutters and all  
GT: lol whatever.   
GT: but... speaking of jade and rose...   
GT: where are they? 


	7. Chapter 7

When Rose wakes up the morning of April 14th, she feels like she's been run over by a truck. Her mouth is dry, her head is pounding, and her stomach is threatening to empty itself at the drop of a hat. She groans and rolls over, flinching as her movement causes something to _thud_ on her floor.

She contemplates just not looking at it. She can keep her eyes closed and keep sleeping. It's fine. 

However, even in the depths of a migraine, Rose Lalonde's curiosity gets the better of her. She cracks open an eye as far as she dares, and gently cranes her neck until she can see what's fallen off of the bed.

A wine bottle.

An _empty_ wine bottle.

"Shit." Rose forces herself to sit up, as much as she does not want to, and checks her phone. The first thing that strikes her notice is that it's already 8 in the morning. The next thing that strikes her is the fact that her pesterchum app is loaded with offline messages.

Dave. It has to be Dave.

\-- turntechGodhead [TG] began pestering tentacleTherapist [TT] \--   
TG: hey rose where are you   
TG: weve got a bday boy to celebrate you cant tell me you forgot   
TG: like if theres anybodys birthday i know you wouldnt forget its johns where are you   
TG: i opened a memo so we could all share his bday joy vicariously over the fucking marvel of modern technology and you and jade are just ignoring my efforts here   
TG: youre making me look like a goddamn fool   
TG: like a friend who tries to host a surprise party but im the only asshole that showed up   
TG: so when john walks in the door rather than being surprised by all the people who showed up for him on his special day its just me jumping out from behind a couch by myself   
TG: and that doesnt scream surprise party that screams daves lost it hes broken into my house and hes probably gonna kill me   
TG: so i better get him before he gets me   
TG: basically im saying get your snarky ass in here before john goes postal on me   
TG: rose   
TG: rose   
TG: rose   
TG: come on what do you want from me   
TG: i lay myself prostrate at your feet   
TG: oh great and noble lalonde please bless us with your spooky birthday presence   
TG: though we are not worthy of your greatness we humbly request it in order to make the day extra special for our birthday boy   
TG: okay if that didnt do it i guess youre actually offline   
TG: whatever   
TG: ill just have to be a good enough bday wellwisher for all three of us   
TG: oh also i was wondering   
TG: how chill is your mom   
TG: like you think shed be okay with your long lost ecto sibling coming to live with you   
TG: cause i think i need to get the hell out of texas

\---

A whole day has come and gone before Jade finally rolls over and dares to check her messages. She sees a lot from both Dave and John. John didn't send as many, so she checks those first. It sounds more bearable.

\-- ghostyTrickster [GT] began pestering gardenGnostic [GG] \--   
GT: hi, jade!   
GT: um... so i guess you missed dave's spamming about my birthday memo.   
GT: it is not that big of a deal that you did or anything! rose wasn't able to make it either.   
GT: i mean, i would have liked to talk to you, but i am sure you were doing something important.   
GT: making bec some steak or stopping him from green sun exploding the world or... whatever it is you do on your island.   
GT: just... ughh i don't know how to say this without sounding guilt trippy!   
GT: but send me a message when you get these messages, okay?   
GT: i want to make sure you're alright. 

Jade stares at the messages and rereads them over and over. John is worried about her. John is worried about _her_. On _his_ birthday. How could she have been so selfish?

She rolls over, covering her face with her arm, biting down hard on her lip. She needs to fix this, but she also doesn't want to talk to John. If she talks to John, he'll just respond back with that worry she doesn't deserve. She needs something else she can fix.

With a weight in her stomach, Jade checks the messages again. This time, something else strikes her interest. Something that's not about her.

Rose.

\-- gardenGnostic [GG] began pestering tentacleTherapist [TT] \--   
GG: rose?   
GG: are you okay?

Halfway across the world, Rose groans as she gets another pesterchum message. She does her best to ignore her headache and answers, even if she has to squint to be able to make out Jade's bright green text. 

TT: Hello, Jade.   
TT: I see you've chosen to open your greeting with an outwardly concerned tone.   
TT: Why do you ask?   
GG: john mentioned you werent around on his birthday   
GG: and i wanted to make sure nothing was wrong :(   
TT: Ah.   
TT: A valid question, I suppose.   
TT: Though by your phrasing, it sounds as though you yourself were not present to notice my absence.   
TT: Why else would it be "john mentioned" and not "i noticed?"   
TT: Which now begs the question:   
TT: Jade, are you okay?   
GG: i asked you first!!!   
GG: dont dodge the question rose!!!!!!!   
TT: Your battalion of exclamation marks reeks of denial.   
GG: you reek of denial more!   
TT: Using only one exclamation mark there will not fool me, Jade. You have already shown your true colors.   
GG: rose >:(   
TT: Ah, an angry emoji. My one weakness!   
GG: .........................   
TT: ...Very well. This isn't getting us anywhere.   
TT: Let's make a deal, then.   
TT: If I admit that I am not entirely okay, will you also admit that you are not entirely okay?   
GG: .........................   
TT: I am being as magnamious as possible here, Jade. As you very well know, getting me to open up is like performing ancient alchemic rites, like those in the animes.   
TT: You cannot hope to gain something without giving something in return.   
GG: okay   
GG: i.... am maybe not entirely okay   
TT: There. That's progress.   
TT: Now, what seems to be bothering you?   
GG: wait! you need to say it first   
TT: Fine.   
TT: I, Rose Lalonde, hereby claim that I am not entirely okay.   
TT: Now, please: elaborate.   
GG: only if you promise to elaborate too!   
TT: I promise.   
GG: okay   
GG: .....this is really hard to put into words   
GG: but..... in one of the timelines john and davesprite exploded on the yellow ship on the way to the new session   
GG: so i was left alone while i waited for the three years to be up   
GG: nannasprite and jaspersprite were there but... i mean nannasprite was nice but she was an old lady and i was a teenager   
GG: and jaspersprite was a cat which drove me soooo crazy when i was part dog!   
GG: and i couldnt talk to you or dave because you were in a different dimension on the meteor   
GG: and even when i slept i never saw anybody in the dream bubbles   
GG: and there wasnt really anything to DO on the ship other than wait and so i sort of..... stopped doing anything   
GG: and its really stupid because it isnt the same this time!!! i can still talk to you guys just like i used to before   
GG: but.....   
TT: But you're lonely.   
TT: Bec is still there, isn't he? Could you convince him to teleport you to one of us? Any of us would be happy to have you.   
GG: not exactly   
TT: Not exactly?   
GG: i think first guardians are too much of a sburb thing so when the timeline reset without sburb.......   
TT: We need to get you off that island immediately.   
GG: no its okay! theres no real reason for me to leave   
GG: i dont have any documentation or anything and id have to stay with one of you probably so i dont want to be a burden   
TT: That you're alone is reason enough.   
GG: i guess   
GG: but anyways!! enough about me   
GG: its YOUR time to open up now miss lalonde!!!   
TT: Oh, must I?   
GG: yes!!! >:(   
TT: Fine.   
TT: I got drunk on John's birthday.   
TT: Drunk enough to forget drinking.   
TT: Drunk enough to pass out before Dave tried to invite us to that memo.   
GG: oh rose... :(    
GG: what happened? was it just the date? or....    
TT: My mother left a bottle of wine in the fridge. I suppose addiction can transcend timelines now.   
GG: well you need to get help then!    
GG: you should get rid of all of the alcohol in the house! make it so you HAVE to stay sober!!!   
GG: or.... is that too strong? maybe you should talk to your mom?   
TT: No. You were right the first time. I have to nip this in the bud - both for me and for her.   
TT: Dave asked if he could move in with me last night. I intend to say yes, but...   
TT: I can't let him see me like this.


	8. Chapter 8

John frowns down at his homework. He knows how to do this math; he learned it in a different lifetime, years ago. But learning math in the mid-1920s is a lot different than learning math in 2010. They teach it in a different order, using different methods and different notations. The philosophy behind teaching is entirely different, and with calculators, there's no need to do anything by hand anymore.

Hypothetically, this should make his homework easier, but John can't help but feel betrayed in some way. Things should be easier this time around. He's got the wisdom of lifetimes behind him now and friends who have been with him through all of those lifetimes in one way or another. He should know how to deal with all of this. He should know what it means that Jade and Rose missed his birthday and how to fix it. He should be mature and intelligent.

But here he is, struggling to do basic algebra.

"Ugh! This is stupid!" 

John tears into his homework, ripping the page into smaller and smaller shreds of paper. By the time he thinks to stop, the little bits of paper are already floating away across the tile of his kitchen floor. There's no way he can tape this back together.

With a groan, John sinks back into his chair. Just one more zero for the gradebook.

_Stupid._

\---

Rose walks into her mother's personal bar with a brass wizard statue in her right hand. She'd looked for something sturdier, like a baseball bat, but this was as close as she could get. Still, it's heavy enough. It will do.

She takes a look around, re-familiarizing herself with the room. She remembers it practically exploding when the house caught on fire during her entry to Sburb. Now, it will explode in a different way.

Rose opens the first cabinet, letting the door creak open and reveal rows and rows of alcohol, packed in as tightly as possible. Some distant part of Rose catalogues it. This is valuable stuff. Some of it is expensive, best shared for special occasions, such as having successfully beheaded the twin presidents of the United States. Priceless, in a way.

She takes a stance like a batter and swings. 

Glass and booze go flying. Some of the glass grazes her cheek just as the stench of dozens of bottles hit her nose. She feels like vomiting, but she continues on, making another swing, taking out another shelf. Then she does it again. And again.

Rose loses herself in the motions, purposeful and methodical. Once one cabinet is cleared, she sloshes across the wet floor to the next one and gets to work on that too. No corner is left unturned; no bottle is left unsmashed. She can feel her skin stinging with alcohol-doused cuts. It's good to know, she thinks, that at least the bottles are doing the job of disinfecting her wounds for her. 

The smashing of glass attracts attention. Just as the last bottle is destroyed, the door is flung open. Rose turns to look; her mother stands there, mouth agape. Rose knows she must look a sight now - a drenched wizard statue in one hand, blood dripping from a cut on her other. A veritable lake of booze soaking into her shoes. Rose doesn't know what she'd say if she were on the other end of this, so she does the talking instead.

"Mother," she says. "I think you need to go to rehab."

\---

Dave walks into the living room, standing up straight with his shoulders squared. Bro is there, in plain sight. Since his defeat a year ago, Bro has taken to hiding less, but Dave still feels the hair on the back of his neck stand up when he catches sight of him.

He reminds himself that he's armed with the okay from Rose and memories of living lifetimes without his brother over his shoulder. He knows this is for the best, and yet his throat nearly closes up when he starts to speak.

"I- Hey, look." He coughs a little, to clear out the anxious energy in his chest. "I was talking to Rose. Friend of mine from online. I know you know about her. And I'm gettin' real tired of the Texas heat, basically sweating so much you could make another three mes out of all the sweat I'm giving off, so I figured I'd try it out on the east coast, see how that jives with my whole brand." A pause. "Rose said I could move in with her."

Bro looks out at him from over the tops of his shades, and Dave is briefly reminded that this is a version of Dirk gone wrong. "Yeah," he says. "That's fine."

Dave can't hide the way his eyebrows shoot up, or the way he gapes for a second. "Wait, really? That's it? I'm a teenager who wants to move halfway across the country to live with someone I met online. You're not even gonna try and talk me out of it?"

Bro shrugs. "You earned the right to do what you wanted a year ago. You won the rooftop battle. You're a man now. Do what you want."

Dave stands there for a moment, his hands clenched into fists. He was expecting this to be an argument. He _wants_ this to be an argument, because at least that would mean that Bro actually cares about what happens to him.

In the end, he decides it's not worth it to look a gift horse in the mouth. If Bro is letting him go, then he should go. 

\-- turntechGodhead [TG] began pestering tentacleTherapist [TT] \--   
TG: hey rose   
TG: hope youre ready for a roommate

\---

Jade chews on her lip as she looks at the plans laid out on her lunchtop. She found some money in her grandpa's old accounts, which makes buying some of the essentials - such as plane tickets - an easy task. As a minor, she needs no form of identification in order to board the aircraft; all she needs is a ticket. Easy.

From the Bonriki International Airport, she'll take a Fiji Airways flight to Los Angeles. Then, from Los Angeles, she'll take any number of flights to Seattle. In Seattle, she'll be close to John, and once she's found John, she can figure out the rest. Once she's found John, she won't be alone anymore.

The only tricky leg of the journey will be making it across more than 1,000 kilometers of ocean without getting lost. She'd done it before, as Jade English, and she knows her grandfather's old boat is on this island somewhere.

She pulls up the tab with tidal patterns and gets to memorizing.


	9. Chapter 9

\-- ghostyTrickster [GT] began pestering tentacleTherapist [TT] \--   
GT: rose!!! are you there?    
TT: Hello, John.   
TT: Yes, at the moment I am present on the metaphysical plane we refer to as the "Worldwide Web."   
GT: okay that's cool.    
GT: how did you convince your mom to let dave move in with you?   
TT: Pardon?   
GT: well, dave is moving in with you, right?   
GT: you had to ask your mom's permission first, i assume.   
TT: Oh, yes. Sorry for the confusion.   
TT: I'm afraid it didn't take much convincing. My mother, to make up for her numerous flaws, spoils me rotten.   
TT: She's purchased me a pony in the past. Asking a friend to move into one of our spare guest rooms is hardly an imposition.   
TT: She was also drunk when I asked her, but given she's usually drunk, I can't say that was a part of my plan or anything.   
TT: I simply told her Dave would be moving in, and she was fine with it.   
GT: damn, you have it so easy, rose!   
GT: i mean, not that you have it easy that your mom is drunk.   
GT: it is still really sad to think that she is an old version of roxy who is an alcoholic rather than a cool future hacker..   
GT: but you have it easy with convincing your parent to let you do something!   
GT: i still need to figure out how to bring it up to dad...   
TT: In order to let Jade live with you, you mean?   
GT: yeah.   
GT: he still gives me those stranger danger talks some times.   
GT: and i for one can not think of something much stranger than a girl living with me after having been alone on an island her whole life!   
TT: Normally, I would recommend that you ask for forgiveness rather than permission, but given the situation...   
TT: Well. It's probably not ideal for your father to find you had snuck a girl into your room.   
GT: ughhh!   
TT: Just try to be direct with him. Your father's a sympathetic man.   
TT: I'm sure he'll be willing to help.

\-- turntechGodhead [TG] began pestering gardenGnostic [GG] \--   
TG: hey jade    
GG: hey dave :D   
GG: whats happening?   
TG: oh you know not much just cramming all of my possessions into a single carry on bag    
TG: really gonna be blowing the tsa security guys mind with the shit thats all up in this bag   
TG: roll on up to iah like yeah feel free to xray my bag tell me how fucking baller it looks   
TG: tsa agent looks at my bags xray like shit thats rad yo ive never seen this much concentrated cool shit in one spot you fly for free now   
TG: i mean not like it matters since rose bought the ticket for me anyways   
GG: lol!   
GG: im there with you though!!!   
GG: im packing my bags too! though i also have to make sure i waterproof everything ._.   
TG: oh shit right youre gonna be sailing the open seas first and foremost right   
GG: right!   
GG: i think it will be pretty easy   
GG: i still have all of my nautical knowledge back from when i was jade english!   
TG: shit thats so fucking cool   
TG: its like youre one of them old timey captains who talks about being married to the sea   
TG: got an eyepatch and a hook hand and look out over the water   
TG: take a whiff of your pipe   
TG: looks like a storms a brewin   
GG: well HOPEFULLY there wont be any storms!   
TG: oh right shit good point   
TG: ok then how about you stare out with your pipe and hook and eyepatch and gruffly say   
TG: looks like a really fucking nice days a brewin   
GG: lol perfect!   
TG: hey be safe out there okay   
TG: once youre finally in the states i want to try and hang out   
TG: like in person   
TG: so you need to actually make it to the states in one piece   
GG: dont worry dave   
GG: ill be careful <3 


	10. Chapter 10

John takes a deep breath as he walks into the kitchen. He's just finished rehearsing this speech for what must have been the hundredth time; he needs to stop putting this off. Jade is probably setting out on her boat this very second, and that means that there needs to be a place ready for her. There's no time to waste.

His father is there, in the midst of baking. John has to take a moment to steady himself; his stomach is busy twisting itself into knots, and the thought of cake is making the twisting all the worse.

"Hey dad," he says, leaning against the kitchen counter, trying to look casual. He tries not to remember what it was like, asking his mother for anything. So much of this feels the same: the baking cakes, the fear of a negative response, the delicacy over the topic of his sister's whereabouts. "Um- can I ask you something?"

His father turns to look at him. "Of course," he says. "You can ask me about anything. What is it?"

"Um- so a friend of mine- she's... she's in trouble and needs a place to stay. Can she stay with us?"

His dad takes a contemplative puff of his pipe. He thinks about it. "Is this one of your friends from the internet?"

John nods.

"And she says she's in trouble?"

John shifts awkwardly. It's not /really/ accurate, but it's easier to say it this way than to explain Jade's been alone on an island her whole life. "Um- sort of?"

Another puff of the pipe. "How can you be sure she is who she says she is? People online can come up with a lot of stories, John."

John frowns. "I just- I _know_ , okay? I know Jade better than... probably anybody! I know what her situation is, and I know she really needs a place to stay right now."

His father exhales, and pipe smoke passes out of his lips. "I'm sure you and Jade are very close," he says, "but if she's really in that much trouble... well, if you need me to, I'm happy to pick her up and drive her to a police station for help."

Something in John snaps at that, and something crashes to the floor. For a moment he thinks he's done the windy thing again, summoning a twister to work out his anger - but no, he swung his fist without meaning to and simply knocked over the sugar bowl. Somehow, this makes John angrier. Not even his expression of anger can be taken seriously.

"No!" he shouts, ears ringing as he tries to keep a lid on his frustration. "You can't bring her to the police! They won't understand what's happening! They'll just- send her away, and then she'll be lonely again!" 

"John," his father says. "Please be rational; I just want to help."

Nothing in his father's voice makes him want to be rational. He wishes he still had the wind at his side, to whip around and lash out and let him fly up into the sky, away from his home, away to wherever Jade is. He can hear a ringing in his ears as his anger echoes through his head. "No you don't! If you wanted to help, then you'd agree to talk her rather than treating her like some stranger! Jade needs our _help_ and you're not letting me do _anything_ and-"

"John-"

John doesn't hear what his father says next. Instead, he passes out.

\---

Rose stares at her reflection in the mirror, tilting her head from side to side so she can view it from every angle. "Curse my youthful visage," she bemoans to nobody. "Desired by so many women, only for it to foil me now."

Dave is set to arrive at the Albany International Airport in three hours, and it will take her two to drive there. Her mother can't drive for a host of reasons, not the least of which being that she is currently at a rehab clinic. That means Rose must be her own chaperone.

Luckily, Rose had learned how to handle a car back when she was a best-selling author, making long drives cross-country because the Condesce held too strong a hold on the airline industry. A trip to Albany would be no problem... unless somebody saw a fourteen year old driving and pulled her over.

Rose feels like a child, breaking into her mother's stash of makeup to try and make herself look older than she actually is. She remembers the sort of makeup she'd wear when she would go on book tours - how to look stark and powerful under the encroaching tyranny of an alien overlord. She tries to make her jaw look sharper, her cheeks more angular. She darkens her lips as she always does and applies her eye makeup with a practiced hand. 

When she's done, she stares at the mirror, and staring back at her is Rose Lalonde, best-selling author of Complacency of the Learned. Finally, the rest of her face matches the aged soul behind her eyes.

She grabs some heels and her mother's keys and sets off.

\---

Dave gets off the plane feeling exhausted. It's not a short flight from Houston to Albany, and even with the first class ticket that Rose had secured for him, no amount of legroom makes it comfortable to be hurtling through the air in a cramped metal tube, surrounded by strangers.

He allows himself to be funnelled out of the terminal and towards baggage claim. He doesn't have a bag to claim - he packed light for his move - but that's where he's meeting Rose. As soon as he gets there, he spots her. She's holding up an elaborately decorated sign, centered on his name, written in her stylish cursive. She taped on some pictures of Sweet Bro and Hella Jeff. As Dave gets closer, he's pretty sure she put some glitter on it.

"Holy shit, this is a thing of beauty," he says as he walks up to Rose, unable to stop a grin from crossing his face. Rose meets it with one of her trademark smirks, and... well, Dave has to do a double take. "Wait, hold the fucking phone. Are you still fourteen or did you find out how to age yourself up through witchcraft. 'Cause you gotta get me some of that witchcraft. My voice is gonna start cracking soon and I want to avoid that embarrassment if I can fucking well help it."

Rose laughs. "I am using an ancient brand of sorcery, used for thousands of years, that most mortals refer to as 'make up.'" She sets the sign down delicately, dusting the airport floor in glitter. "Regardless, it's good to see you, even with your eminent voice cracking looming on the horizon."

Rose holds out her arms a little bit, inviting a hug, though the motion is awkward. Hugging is not something Rose has done much of recently. Dave hasn't either, but he leans in anyways, holding her tightly. She's here and she's real, and Dave isn't sure he has ever, in all of his lives, been more happy to see her.

Not that this will ever stop him from pestering her. "Holy shit, did you pad your bra?"

Rose scoffs and lightly shoves his shoulder. "We need to get to the car. We have a long drive home."

\---

After one last check of her supplies, Jade pushes her grandfather's boat out into the water. She's made sure that she has her tickets, some of her favorite possessions, and enough food and fresh water to last her for the long sailing trip across the ocean. The weather forecast is favorable - no storms on the horizon, and the winds should be good. Her friends know her plans, though if something goes wrong, Jade doesn't know that they can help.

Still, she's been through worse before. She's made this same journey in reverse while avoiding Betty Crocker's top agents. She piloted an entire cruise ship across the metaphysical space between two universes. This should be easy by comparison.

Jade climbs onto the boat once it's out in the water and looks back over her island. Her eyes trace the familiar silhouette of the dormant volcano, trail up the long spire of her home. She's leaving a lot behind; she's leaving her whole life behind. Her grandfather's collections will get dusty. Many of her stuffed animals will never be hugged again. Her plants will die. Her heart clenches, but it's time to move on.

"Goodbye, island," she says under her breath, as she turns to get the sails working.

She does not look back.


	11. Chapter 11

\-- ghostyTrickster [GT] began pestering gardenGnostic [GG] \--  
GT: jade!!!   
GT: ugh i know its only been a couple of days since you set off on your boat trip but...  
GT: as soon as you get an internet connection again you NEED to let me know okay!!!   
GT: also... my dad is not sure about having you live with us.  
GT: but that's not important! i will figure it out before you get here.  
GT: just boat safely, okay?

\-- tentacleTherapist [TT] began pestering gardenGnostic [GG] \--  
TT: Jade.   
TT: I hope all is well.   
TT: In fact, I'm sure all is well. You're a capable young woman. Or a capable old woman, inside of a young woman's body.  
TT: Jade English has weathered worse than this before.   
TT: The boys, however, have been worried about your well being.   
TT: I cannot blame them. It's been a week now.  
TT: I know you are capable and I am sure you are well, but I would be remiss if I did not say I hope you are okay. 

\-- turntechGodhead [TG] began pestering gardenGnostic [GG] \--  
TG: jade okay im really sorry about all of the offlines   
TG: i promise you dont even gotta read all of them like i recognize that this is excessive behavior even for me   
TG: but its been two weeks  
TG: you were supposed to be in washington yesterday and john hasnt heard from you  
TG: and i know youre like the super goddess of adventures and kicking ass and everything but   
TG: god please just say something   
TG: i miss you


	12. Chapter 12

John sits in a comfortable chair, across from a man with an unbearably kind face. John already hates his new therapist. He doesn't want to be here, but his dad _insisted_ , and despite all of the teenage rebellion that John's been stewing in recently, he doesn't want to disappoint his dad.

"Your father mentioned you threw something in the kitchen during an argument," the therapist says. "Could you tell me why you did that?"

John crosses his arms and doesn't say anything. Sure, he'll go to therapy because his dad is making him go, but he doesn't have to say anything. Seconds of silence tick by. It's admittedly hard for John to keep his mouth shut, but he's resolute. 

The therapist, to his credit, doesn't seem fazed. "Very well. It seems you don't wish to talk about it. That's fine. What would you like to talk about?"

John is ready to be petulant and say nothing, but Jade's been out of contact, and since his Dad won't let him help... The thought crosses his mind that maybe this new adult can help, but he quickly shakes it off. John remembers being an adult. Adults aren't any more capable than kids are, they're just better at faking it. 

Still, John wants to vent, and this man is literally being paid to be nice to him. He might as well take advantage.

"My friend went missing."

The therapist looks surprised. "Missing?"

"Yeah. She was supposed to come visit me. I was going to give her a place to live. But my dad said no, and now she isn't on Pesterchum or anything. She could be hurt. She could be _dead_. And there's nothing I can do!"

"You know that's not your fault," the therapist says gently.

John shakes his head. "No, you don't get it. It _is_ my fault. Friends are supposed to help each other, but I haven't helped Jade at all. She's out there, probably in trouble, and where am I? Talking to some stranger about my feelings." He lets out a sigh and sinks miserably into the couch. "God, I'm such a shitty friend."

\---

Rose perks up when she hears a knocking on her door frame. She already knows who it is, of course; her mother is still in rehab, and Dave is the only other person in the house right now. Still, there's something novel and comforting about seeing him here. It makes the house feel less empty.

"Hey," he says. "So we're on, what, day fifteen of not hearing from Jade at all?"

"Day fifteen and a half, to be precise," Rose confirms. "Jade was supposed to be in Washington two days ago, and with John's father refusing to take him to the airport..."

"Yeah. We have no idea if she's okay." Dave crosses his arms and lets out a heavy sigh. "I mean, for all we know, she might be-"

"She's not. She's Jade. She'll be fine." Rose isn't sure if she's saying those words because she believes them, or because she can't stand the thought of them being untrue. After all, she had been the one to suggest Jade leave the island. That would make Jade's fate her fault.

Dave's mouth twists. "But how do we know for sure? We can't just sit here."

Rose's fingers drum against her desk as she considers their options. "You're right," she says. "We need to do something. Retrace her steps, perhaps."

"We can't sail across the Pacific, Rose. I know your mom's rich, but she's not that rich."

Rose runs a hand through her hair. "No, no, I know. But perhaps... We don't know if she made it to Washington, because John wasn't there to get her. We should go there first. Establish whether or not anybody has seen her. If there's no sign of her, then we check at the next step back on her travel plan. Find out where she was last seen."

Dave's eyebrows slowly rise over the tops of his Ben Stiller shades. "Are you suggesting we take a flight to Washington?"

"I'll make sure to book us first class."

\---

Upon arriving at the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, Rose and Dave split up. Rose is in charge of searching the restaurants and shops, and Dave is in charge of searching the actual terminal.

He does a lap of all the gates first, looking for a mop of messy black hair and circle-lense glasses. He scans over each and every person, walking slowly, trying to make sure he leaves no flight gate unturned. His search comes up with nothing. If Jade was ever here, she isn't now.

His next stop is to talk to the flight agents sitting at the gates. He has a couple of pictures of Jade saved on his phone - mostly selfies or screenshots from their video chats - and he starts showing these to the airport employees, gate by gate. 

He doesn't know how long it takes him. Rose has already texted him, saying she's turned up nothing, but Dave refuses to give up, as though he can summon Jade here as long as he asks enough people. 

Nobody has seen her. I'm going to get a hotel and a rental car for the night. At least we can visit John while we're here. I'll find a place close to him.   
im gonna keep asking around but okay   
wait how the fuck are you renting a car   
My mother is a platinum member and has access to a "Skip the Counter" option. As long as I act like I know what I'm doing, they won't question me.   
fuck youre scary just glad youre on our side here   
godspeed

Dave keeps asking, talking to anybody he can, trying to act like he doesn't notice the pitying looks he gets for being a fourteen-year-old kid looking for a friend. He's about ready to just give up, when finally- 

"Oh! Yes, I remember her. She got off a flight from Los Angeles either... yesterday or the day before. The poor girl looked exhausted. She was asking about the wi fi, but unfortunately it was down that day for repairs..."

Dave leans in, heart pounding. "And you're sure it was her? She had the hair and the glasses and everything?"

The gate agent checks again and nods. "Yes- I'm pretty sure. I remember thinking it was odd she was without a parent."

"Holy fuck." Dave leans against the desk to steady himself. Jade is okay. Jade is _alive._

Now they just need to find her.

\---

John hadn't been there to pick her up at the airport.

At first, that was fine. Jade had been transferred to a later flight to Seattle after her overseas flight had been delayed. She had pulled out her laptop, intending to let John know she was there... but there was no signal. She tried to withdraw some money, hoping to catch a cab, but her grandfather's account had been denied due to "suspicious activity," and Jade had no way to call to clear things up with the bank. 

Jade had spent as much time as she could in the airport until security finally took notice of her - a teenage girl who admittedly hadn't seen a proper shower in a little while - hanging around. So Jade had left the airport on foot.

In reality, it isn't so bad. It's not as bad as her journey across the ocean. She's on dry land, and there's people and food /everywhere/. Plus, she had been through worse when she had run away from home in another universe, back in a time where there were no electronics she could rely on. All Jade needs is a place with wi fi and a power outlet, and she'll be set. She can tell John where she is, and he can get her.

It takes her about a day and a half, with the night spent carefully nestled up in the branches of a tree. Jade's sure she could have found a place to rest sooner, but her instincts are kicking in. She doesn't know who she can trust, where she can be seen. Logically, she knows there aren't Crocker spies anymore, but it's hard to shake the feeling. 

It isn't until her bag of food and water goes empty and her stomach starts to growl that she begins to seek out alternatives. Her nose leads her to a McDonalds, of all places. Jade stares at the golden arches, mouth watering. Of course, she doesn't have any money, but- then a sign catches her eye.

"Free Wi fi!"

_Finally._


	13. Chapter 13

\-- gardenGnostic [GG] opened memo on board hey guys! --  
GG: hi everybody!!!!! sorry i was gone for so long  
GG: it was hard to find internet on the road :P  
ghostyTrickster [GT] responded to memo  
GT: jade!!!   
GT: are you okay? i am so sorry i was not at the airport. my dad is being really dumb about all of this.   
GG: oh! that's okay  
tentacleTherapist [TT] responded to memo  
TT: Jade. Where are you?  
turntechGodhead [TG] responded to memo  
TG: jade holy fuck you cannot do this to us we were about ready to fling ourselves into the pacific just to try and find you  
GG: im sorry! and im at a mcdonalds right now! o:  
TT: Where?   
GG: somewhere in seattle?  
TT: I want an address. We're going to get you.   
GG: no rose thats okay! you dont need to go out of your way  
GG: i can figure something out  
TG: too late shes already firing up the rental car vroom vroom  
TG: were in washington anyways  
TG: speaking of john were gonna get you first youre gonna be on our way there  
GT: wait what? right now?  
TG: yeah right now  
TG: we got your address still from sending you bday gifts our eta is 10 minutes  
TG: in the meantime jade find out where in the stinky armpit of seattle you are and then well go and get you  
GG: well....... ok!  
GG: i will do my best :o  
GT: dave, i do not think my dad is going to allow me to go with you.  
GT: he'll say you're strangers from the internet, who could be up to no good, and then maybe call the cops on you.  
TG: ok sneak out then  
TG: youre a teenager arent you  
TG: rebelling against our parents is supposed to be like our whole schtick  
TG: 8 minutes now


	14. Chapter 14

John paces the length of his room as he waits for Dave and Rose. He doesn't know what he'll do when they get there. Will he send them away? He's never snuck out of the house before - not really. Sure, he snuck down the stairs while trying to get his discs for Sburb, but sneaking through the house to sneakily grab a package was different than sneaking out a window to drive off to the city with his two impulsive friends.

Even when John bore the name Crocker and lived with an alien mother, he never snuck out. Not once. He wasn't brave like Jade was, leaving home at 13 with nothing to her name. He stayed at home, no matter how hard it got. Somebody else would always be able to handle the hard stuff.

John looks at his bedroom wall. His father still hasn't painted over the most recent additions.

_Stupid. Useless. Lame kid._

He doesn't know why Dave and Rose are even bothering to come and get him. Surely this is something they can handle on their own. 

The trademark Pesterchum "bloop" echoes from John's computer.

TG: were here

John swears under his breath and pokes his head out the window. Sure enough, there's a car there, and Dave is climbing out of the passenger's side. He's in an awkward stage of puberty that John has never seen in person before, where different parts of his body have decided to grow at different times, leaving him with pants that look a little too short and a shirt that looks a little too big. He's holding his phone; John sees him typing and pesterchum bloops again.

TG: john get your ass down here already

John groans and types a response. 

GT: how? my dad is probably in his study right now. he will hear me if i try to go downstairs.   
TG: ill catch you   
GT: what?   
TG: its just the second story   
TG: climb out the window and ill catch you

John looks out the window again, and this time he sees Dave standing there with his arms wide open, as if inviting John down.

_This is stupid._ The thought comes to John's mind instantly. Dave really thinks he's going to catch him if he jumps out a window? It's just... stupid! 

John turns back to his room, ready to tell Dave just this, but his eyes fall again on the words written on his wall, clear as day. _Stupid. Lame._

No wonder he can't save Jade. No wonder so many of his friends died, so many times over. No wonder he never got up the nerve to stand up against Betty Crocker; his mother. He never ran away then, too scared of making her mad to do the brave thing like Jade had done. But now...

John opens the window up. Dave's still there, and his arms are still open. 

John makes the leap.

\---

Jade rubs her forearms as she stands out on the corner, waiting for her friends to arrive. Even though it's nearly summer in Seattle, it's still cooler out here than it ever was on her island. In her memories, she can remember being cold - on her planet, in the depths of space, or simply while travelling somewhere to promote her company. She's never truly _experienced_ the cold in this body, though, so goosebumps form on her arms.

She jumps every time a car pulls into the parking lot, trying to peer into the windows to see if there are any familiar faces. She gets a few odd looks; Jade wonders what she'll do if somebody calls the police. She doesn't have anything in the way of documentation - not a problem for flying as a minor, but it could be a problem if the cops start asking if she has parents to call. 

She'd have to run, which she can do, but how would her friends find her then?

Just as Jade is about to pull out her laptop to send a contingency plan over pesterchum, a car pulls up, and this time, when Jade peers in through the window, she sees a face peering back at her. She locks eyes with Dave, and then John, who immediately press their faces against the window. It looks as though they're saying something, but they're too far away to hear.

Jade finds herself smiling anyways. They came to get her. 

She starts waving madly, just to let them know that she sees them. Rose pulls into a parking spot somewhat haphazardly, and Jade's legs are moving on their own. Dave is the first one out of the car, and so he gets the brunt of Jade as she tackles him into a tight, desperate hug. 

"Oof- fuck, not like I need those lungs or nothing," he wheezes, but he hugs her back, and Jade smiles against his chest.

John is out of the car next, and rather than waiting for Dave's hug to be done, he joins right in.

"Oh man, thank god you're alright Jade," he says as he hugs her from behind, making a proper Jade sandwich. "I'm so sorry I wasn't there, but my dad-"

"It's okay, John! I'm used to being on my own."

"That's absolutely _not_ okay." John squeezes her a little tighter. "That's not the kind of thing anybody should get used to."

Rose has finally had time to step out and walk around to the passenger's side of the rental car. She does her best to snake her arms in between Dave and John, trapping Jade in a dangerously warm three-way hug.

"And you won't have to be used to it anymore," Rose promises her, voice soft in her ear. "If you really think I'm going to let you go now that we've found you, you're sorely mistaken."

A laugh bubbles out of Jade at the same time a couple of tears leak out. Both get muffled against Dave's shirt, but for once, Jade doesn't feel bad about that. 

"Let's get out of here."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> art in this chapter is courtesy of liunya @ tumblr / heaven_for_shit @ twitter!


	15. Chapter 15

All four of them pour into Rose and Dave's hotel room all at once, and there's a collective sigh of relief once the door is closed behind them, and nobody can question why four teenagers are piling into a two-person room without an adult.

After some obligatory comments about how rich Rose is to get such a nice room, all four of them fall into one bed. Jade ends up in Rose's lap, but she leans back against Dave, who's already weaving tiny braids into her hair. John squeezes in on Dave's other side, smiling over Jade's head at Rose, who smiles back. 

They talk for hours, changing positions slowly throughout the night, until they're all sprawled out across one another. They talk about everything and nothing. Topics range from heartfelt apologies, to critical analysis of Matthew McConaughey's filmography, to deep seated fears, to which Squiddle was objectively the cutest. They laugh and they act like they're not crying, and at least once they're so loud that the person in the next room bangs loudly against the wall to get them to shut up. 

It isn't over. John will need to explain his disappearance to his father. Rose will need to learn to talk to her mother. Dave still needs to adapt to his new home. Jade still needs to find a place to _call_ home.

But tonight, none of that matters. It's all okay.

They're together.


End file.
